11 Essential Cocktails for Your May Parties

April’s showers have come and gone, and May flowers have taken their place. In much the same matter, floral and fruity cocktails are taking the place of their cooler-weather counterparts. There’s plenty reason to host a party this month. Whether you’re celebrating the unofficial start of summer, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day or the Kentucky Derby, you’re going to need a few good drink recipes. Check out our 11 picks for cocktails to make this month.

Ditch the traditional Mother’s Day bouquet and make Mom a batch of this cocktail instead. Gin, grapefruit and lemon juices, and St-Germain elderflower liqueur get a dash of intrigue from orange bitters, and everything is topped with Champagne for a perfectly bubbly and floral brunch punch.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo all month long with this classic. Cool and refreshing, the combination of tangy lime, sweet orange liqueur and potent tequila makes the Margarita a perfect go-to cocktail throughout the summer.

As the weather heats up, reach for this frozen gin concoction to help cool you down. Refreshingly fizzy, this cocktail gets a creamy consistency and sweetness from heavy cream and honey and is then brightened up with fresh pomelo juice and a splash of seltzer. Can’t find pomelos? Grab grapefruits instead.

Even if you don’t live in the South, you’ll want to make a batch of this tea for front-porch sipping. Classic sweet tea gets a kick from a hefty dose of bourbon. Don’t forget the lemon slices and mint for garnish.

Cool cucumber is perfect for warm spring days, and the vegetable shines beautifully in this Highball. Muddled cucumber gets a subtle sweetness from pear vodka and St-Germain, with a touch of lemon juice for brightness. Top it all off with club soda, a mint sprig and fresh cucumber slices, and get ready to sip your way into summer.

Step up your Cinco de Mayo party with this riff on the Dirty Martini. Smoky mezcal is perfectly suited to pair with dry vermouth and salty olive brine for an addictively savory cocktail you won’t be able to put down.

Celebrate Memorial Day—and the impending summer—with this gingery twist on the Daiquiri. Rum and lime get a kick from ginger shrub, maraschino liqueur and bitters for a cocktail that’s both fruity and spirit-forward.

Arguably one of the easiest cocktails you’ll ever make, this Shandy is easy to whip up in big batches for Memorial Day barbecues or just in single servings for smaller gatherings. Simply combine equal parts kölsch ale and limeade in a Mason jar, and you’re set with an easy and light refresher.

Don your fanciest hat and get ready to watch the Kentucky Derby this month with this classic cocktail in hand. Raw sugar and mint are muddled together, then topped with bourbon and crushed ice. If you’re looking to mix things up, garnish with a few dashes of bitters along with the traditional mint sprig.

Serve this at both your Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day parties. The thirst-quenching combination of amaro, mezcal, citrus juices and ginger beer is suited just as well for celebrating Mexico’s victory over France as it is for observing the beginning of summer.

Travel back in time with this cocktail, which tastes just like a boozy and liquid version of old-timey lemon candy. Vodka, triple sec, simple syrup and fresh lemon juice are all you need to make this sweet and sour cocktail.